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Video #1
This video is from 2 years ago. This level of meltdown is much less common now, but it can still happen if he is uncomfortable and I push. Now I know to walk away. After watching day 1 of the Resilience Seminar, I cringe watching this and all of our old meltdown videos. I did everything you should NOT do in the adolescent phase. I tried to train my way through everything. I feel like a complete ass. However, I felt I was seeking help from everyone I knew to ask, but nobody had an answer or knew how to help me. In this video, he melts down. We did this same exercise the day before and he was having a great time.
Time
0:22 he leaves
0:32 I engage him in a game of fetch that fails, 10 seconds of recovery
0:36 he leaves again and there is no recovery so we stop
Severity 10This recovery took a few days if I remember correctly. I didn’t ask for a teeter for 2 more months based on my YouTube playlist. I even have a teeter video that is labeled “first teeter attempts in 2 months”. In that short teeter session video 2 months later he is happy!
I failed to mention he is now on gabapentin 100mg BID and has been for 8 months. Pre-gaba, the meltdowns were more common and recovery took days. Post gaba, the meltdowns are rare and recovery is seconds instead of days. With a n of 1, I cannot say if it is the gaba or aging out of adolescence. I can engage him in play almost immediately after he is stressed. He cannot be still in moments of stress or he continues to spiral down. I find if I can play a game of chase with a toy he is super happy and barking at me. I am still careful about asking him to work if I see stress and he recovers. I typically put him away and work with another dog before asking him to work again. So far, this seems to be working.
